While South Shore's Megan Gustafson, who stood out for Spain in on their women's national basketball team, and Rice Lake's Kenny Bednarek, who claimed the silver medal in the 200 meter dash, did the Bay Area and Northwoods proud in the 2024 Olympics held in Paris, France, from July 26 to Aug. 11, there is another local legend who once claimed a bit of spotlight in Olympic play.
Carol "Coke" Lindsey, a long-time Bay Area resident, was herself a stellar athlete who grew up in Washburn, moved to Indiana for high school, went on to play three sports as a scholarship athlete for Purdue University in the early 1970s, and found herself after eight years of disappointment representing the original USA women's handball team in the 1984 Olympics.
The Ashland Daily Press caught up with Lindsey, a fourth generation Bayfield County resident who returned decades ago to live and work as an engineer, to talk about her life and Olympic experience.
Question: Coke … please bring us up to speed on your connection to the area.
Answer: I am married to Tom Hmielewski, have two step children, four granddaughters, and we live in Washburn. I grew up in Washburn. Moved away when DuPont closed, got an education (BA in education and BS in mechanical engineering.Then figured out how to get back to this area, finding engineering jobs with James River paper company and then with Ashland Industries. This is the best place in the world to work and live. Tom and I call our home our little piece of paradise.
Q: How about your own athletic background?
A: I grew up in the era that there were not many opportunities for girls to participate in athletics. The biggest athletic influence on me was playing every sport with my four brothers. They showed no mercy on the fact that I was a girl. Title 9 came into effect when I was at Purdue University. I ended up being on scholarship and played three sports. Basketball, field hockey, and softball. Times were different, I did not have to specialize.
Q: Please describe your Olympic experience, and that journey.
A: A lot of times I still can't believe that I was able to participate in the Olympics. Team Handball is a sport played around the world but not too much in the US. In 1976 the sport was added to the Olympics and in trying to field a national team, the US handball federation sent letters to Universities looking for all around athletes. The basketball coach at Purdue recommended me and basically the rest is history. Long story short, I was able to make the 1984 Olympic team after training on and off for ten years.
Q: And so, there you are with Team USA ….
A: I am amazingly proud to have had the opportunity to represent my country. There is nothing like hearing the crowd chant: USA! USA! I remember entering the stadium for the opening ceremonies. In Los Angeles, where we received a standing ovation for over 15 minutes. To be perfectly honest, at that point, I did not care if I even played a game. Since the games were in L.A., my whole family was able to attend, it was a thrill of a lifetime.
Q: You scored a goal. Played a key role. What was the state of your body and mind before your first game?
A: Certainly I had the jitters before the first game began. Once you start playing you let your training take over and don't really think about scoring a goal or not, you just play hard.
Q: You came one game short of the bronze medal. Any disappointment?
A: We were so proud of how we played, we did much better than predicted. It is not about the medals.
Q: Megan Gustafson. Bay Area. What can you say about her?
A: Our situation was way different than Megan's. We were in a round robin tournament and there were only six teams. What Megan has accomplished is amazing. I have been following her since her high school days at South Shore. It still bugs me that Wisconsin did not recruit her. But her career at Iowa speaks for itself. I encourage her to just keep on doing what you have been doing your whole life. I hope she enjoyed every minute at the Olympics. She deserves it.
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